ohsin Naqvi and the chief of the military’s media wing on the need for additional administrative units.
“We did not start this discussion,” he said, referring to the statements made by Naqvi and Director General Inter-Services Public Relations Lt-Gen Ahmed Sharif.
According to Kamal, the MQM-P had repeatedly raised the issue but its proposals had previously been ignored.
He claimed that there was now a growing realisation among those responsible for running the country that administrative restructuring was necessary to improve governance.
“We are supporting the statements of Mohsin Naqvi and the DG ISPR on provinces,” Kamal said.
“If there is an administrative unit, even a farmer from the province can change the chief minister,” he added, arguing that smaller administrative units would make governments more accountable to ordinary citizens.
Constitutional route
Siddiqui also sought to counter criticism that the demand for new provinces could threaten national unity.
He said the MQM-P was committed to Pakistan and had no intention of abandoning the country.
“We will not go back to India because we came after achieving freedom,” he said, referring to the migration of Muslims to Pakistan at the time of Partition.
He also referred to the history of Sindh and the settlement of migrants following Partition, saying the MQM-P did not believe it had occupied anyone’s land.
Siddiqui said the party was willing to engage with Sindhi political and social groups and welcomed those who had supported its position.
The MQM-P has repeatedly cited Article 239 of the Constitution in support of its argument that new provinces can be created through a constitutional process. Earlier this year, the party criticised a Sindh Assembly resolution opposing the creation of a Karachi province, describing the move as unconstitutional and arguing that the Constitution itself provides a mechanism for altering provincial boundaries.
The party’s renewed push therefore comes amid a broader debate over whether Pakistan’s existing four-province structure is capable of effectively governing a population that has grown dramatically over the decades.=
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